


With Nothing But This Little Spark

by lovethatwewerein



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Minor Blaine Anderson/Sebastian Smythe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22699324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovethatwewerein/pseuds/lovethatwewerein
Summary: “I may have just told Jeff, Sebastian’s friend Jeff, you know him, that I love him.”A beat.“You what?”A short story in which Nick has a dog, Jeff is adorable, and Scotland is the best place to run away to for sure.
Relationships: Jeff/Nick the Warbler (Glee)
Kudos: 18





	With Nothing But This Little Spark

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from 'Don't you' by Darren Criss.

“40 minutes? Cool. See you then,” Nick said over the line, scratching his dog behind the ear as he ordered the pizza. He grinned down at the golden retriever as it nuzzled into him. “I love you.” 

The beep following his statement confused him for a moment before he remembered that he’d been on the phone. Shit. He leapt up, scaring the dog that he’d been smiling at just moments before. He shook his head, pacing across the floor manically. He’d just told the boy at the pizza place (Jeff, he thought) that he loved him. Could he be any more embarrassing?

It wasn’t that Jeff was a dick or anything. He was actually a really nice guy. They’d met up a few times since he was a good friend of Blaine’s boyfriend, Sebastian. When they’d first met, Nick had been a bumbling mess in front of the tall, funny, gorgeous blond, and now he’d told him he loved him. Jeff would think he was a creep, there was nothing else to it. He would pay for the pizza without ever looking him in the eye and then promptly abandon his entire family to go and live in Scotland or something. At least then he wouldn’t have to look Jeff in the eye. 

The most obvious option was to leave everything to Blaine and start fresh in Scotland. Blaine would know who should have what and how to explain everything to his parents. Blaine was good like that. He had 30 minutes to plan his escape from the states, to where he was sure no one would ever think to look for him, and the most obvious thing to do was call Blaine. 

“Blaine, hi,” he greeted when the call connected, his voice higher than he’d anticipated. He coughed to make everything seem less conspicuous. It didn’t work. “I may have just told Jeff, Sebastian’s friend Jeff, you know him, that I love him.” 

A beat.

“You what?” Blaine laughed, and Nick could imagine Sebastian raising his eyebrow questioningly at the other’s incredulous tone. 

“Don’t make me repeat it.” He whined, already hating that this was the person he considered his best friend. Blaine Anderson was evil in a compact form. That was the only explanation for why he wanted to torture him. 

“You told Jeff that you love him,” Blaine repeated, probably more for Sebastian’s benefit than his own, and the resulting laugh from the other end of the line confirmed his theory. He was definitely running away to Scotland. “I guess the main question is why.” 

He flopped down onto the sofa, watching as his dog sulked in the corner. His outburst from earlier wouldn’t be forgotten for a while, and it certainly wouldn’t be forgiven. He sighed. “I was ordering pizza and playing with Melody at the same time - it just happened.” 

“You told your dog you loved her while Jeff was still on this phone?” His silence was the only answer Blaine needed to start chuckling again. “Ok. What is your plan now, because I doubt you’ve got super long until the pizza gets there.” 

“I was gonna leave the money on the porch and then run away to Scotland.” He grumbled, cheeks flushing at how stupid he sounded out loud. 

“That is the stupidest plan you’ve ever had, Nick, and I am not saying that lightly,” Blaine answered, stifling his giggles. “I was there when you decided to tell Trent that Hunter had a crush on him. I’ll never forget watching you try to do 100 consecutive push-ups.” 

“Fine, it’s not my brightest idea. What do you suggest?” There was shuffling from Blaine’s end of the call and he almost winced when Sebastian started talking. He got along well enough with Blaine's boyfriend, but he did not want to have Sebastian ‘Men’s Man’’ Smythe telling him where to run away to after embarrassing himself completely. 

“Listen to me, Nick, and listen well because I’m not repeating this,” Sebastian began, surely pausing only for dramatic effect. “Jeff is a sweetheart and he will not let you be embarrassed over this. Yeah, you’ve made a complete ass out of yourself, but Jeff fancies you for some insane reason and I’d expect him to go to your house and confess his undying love to you.” 

“That sounds so stupid, Sebastian.” 

“Yes, well, blond’s aren’t the brightest,” Sebastian sighed, huffing when Blaine mumbled something from beside him. “Apparently I’m not allowed to say that. It’s insulting according to Blaine. Who knew? Anyway, Jeff likes you and he’s a softie. You’ll be fine.” 

“But what if-” 

“Goodbye, Nick.” Sebastian hung up and he could picture Blaine pouting at his boyfriend, hazel eyes wide. He could see Sebastian pulling the other boy into a kiss to get his mind off what he’d just done. He could also imagine them forgetting that other people do sit on their couch occasionally. They were awful, just like randy teenagers. 

He spent the next ten minutes trying to get his dog to like him again. Melody was stubborn, and she was angry at him for causing such a shock to her system. It took a fair few treats, and a lot of belly rubs before she started to act like she liked him again. His dignity was already ruined - why should he care that he was trying to gain the respect of his dog instead of an actual human being?

Before he knew it, the doorbell was ringing and he once again forgot about Melody. He jumped to his feet, prompting a low growl from the dog at his feet. Tonight just wasn’t his night. He peeked out the window, making out Jeff’s hair in the light from the porch. He would just pay him and apologise profusely for being such an embarrassment to himself and everyone around him. 

He sucked in a breath and swung the door open, prepared for an onslaught of apologies to fly at Jeff. What he hadn’t anticipated was to stop at the sight of the boy, shuffling nervously from foot to foot and holding what looked like a bouquet of… where those breadsticks? 

“Hi… ummm…. Hi.” Jeff greeted, thrusting the bouquet (Nick was sure it was a bouquet by now) towards him and biting his lip nervously. He chuckled unsurely, “Hello…” 

“I just wante-” 

“I have to sa-” 

They both cut off, glancing uneasily at each other. He gestured for the other to go first, scratching the back of his neck as a blush flooded up his cheeks. Jeff smiled in thanks before talking. 

“I just wanted to… to let you know that I… let you know that I’m..” he trailed off. “Why don’t you go first?”

He nodded, the breadstick bouquet (that smelt delicious, by the way) shaking slightly where his hands did. “I have to apologise. For earlier. I was… I was talking to my dog. When I said that… y’know.” 

“Oh. That makes a lot more sense. I figured that you didn’t mean it but I…” 

“I’m sorry, honestly. You what?” He asked, brows furrowing in concentration. He’d expected Jeff to call him out and say he was a weirdo. Jeff was cool and good-looking and Nick was not at all his type. Why wasn’t he calling him a weirdo?” 

“I just really… really like you.” Jeff mumbled, shrugging as if it were no big deal. It was the same move he’d watched Sebastian use when Blaine had first turned down his advances, convinced that all the taller boy had wanted was a quick shag. That made him pause. Jeff, cool and popular and talented Jeff, liked him. 

“What?” He asked, focusing on the boy still standing on his doorstep with a pizza box in his hands. 

Jeff shrugged again, the light from the porch creating a halo of his hair against the black of the night stretching out behind him. “You’re just really nice and funny and I like you, Nick. I get that you don’t like me like that, and I’m fine with it. I just wanted to tell you that I am an option, even though I’m sure you’ve got a lot.” The strangled smile that Jeff painted on his face hurt Nick deep inside. How could this wonderful boy not see that he liked him too? It wasn’t like he was as bad at showing it as Blaine. That would’ve been dreadful. 

He stared at the boy in front of him, so awkward in the face of laying his feelings on the line. This could be his one chance, his only opportunity, to have what Blaine found with Sebastian. He wasn’t about to waste it because he’d accidentally spoken to his dog while he was on the phone. Taking a chance, just as Jeff went to hand him the pizza and turn around, he asked, “When does your shift finish?” 

Jeff stopped, refusing to meet his eyes. “Thad offered to cover the rest of my shift tonight so I could tell you everything so this was my last delivery.” 

“I could use some help eating this pizza that a very cute boy just delivered. You fancy it?” 

He couldn’t help but throw a breadstick from his bouquet at his dog in thanks when Jeff joined him on the couch to eat pizza. Maybe he wouldn’t have to run away to Scotland at all.


End file.
